Sales of Organic Produce Surge

Washington, D.C. – Sales of organic food topped $32 billion in 2013 – up 11.5 percent from the year before – and organic fruits and vegetables now account for more than 10 percent of all produce sold in the United States, according to a new survey by the Organic Trade Association.

“Consumers are expressing their increasing concern over growth hormones, fertilizers, GMOs and, of course, toxic pesticides by increasingly choosing organic foods over conventional,” said EWG President Ken Cook. “The public’s depth of support for organic foods should send a strong signal to conventional agriculture that people would rather spend their hard-earned dollars on foods free of synthetic chemicals.”

The survey of more than 200 companies, conducted between January and April of this year, is “the most accurate and quantitative picture of the organic industry available,” according the Organic Trade Association. Participating companies provided data on sales growth and revenue, among other information.

Fruits and vegetables continued to be the largest sector of the organic industry with $11.6 billion in sales in 2013, up 15 percent over 2012.

“The Organic Trade Association and its members deserve a huge pat on the back for giving consumers exactly what they want – healthy foods that aren’t made with the assistance of toxic chemicals,” added Cook.